A rain gutter or eaves trough is a narrow channel, or trough, forming the component of a roof system which serves to collect and divert rainwater shed by the roof.
Rain gutters can be constructed from a variety of materials, including cast iron, lead, zinc, galvanized steel, painted steel, copper, painted aluminum, PVC (and other plastics), concrete, stone, and wood.
Water collected by a rain gutter is fed, usually via a downspout from the roof edge to the base of the building where it is either discharged or collected.
As illustrated in the photograph of FIG. 1, a common problem with gutters is that they can weaken and/or leak in time, particularly at the corner seams of the eaves trough. Leakage may arise from bad installation of gutter, settling of the house which my cause the corner sections of the gutter to separate apart (see FIG. 2), the channel of the gutter may slope away from the downspout thereby causing the water to pool in the corners, sagging of gutters at corners because nails were used that pull loose, and so forth. Leaves and/or other debris tend to accumulate at corner joint of the gutter due to rise of joint overlap and dams water at the corner joint.
These problems with gutters may result in: rot to the siding from dirt splashing on siding, rot in the rafter tails or fascia boards, insect infestation in the putrid pooled water and so forth.
One common solution for repairing a leaking gutter is sealing the gutter at the corners with some form of sealing solution or material. Common sealing solutions available on the market include silicones, roof cements like Black Jack™, and caulking materials. The disadvantage of using these common sealers to repair eaves trough systems is that they were designed as roof patch sealants, which do not adhere properly to the wet and dirty areas of the eaves trough or gutter allowing for air pockets through which water can seep and through temperature changes, the aluminum expands and contracts, causing the sealant to crack. As a result, these common sealants are not designed for a long repair term solution.
Another repair solution is the use of vinyl liners which have to be inserted along the channel of the eaves trough system. One disadvantage of these liners is that they are made of a thin vinyl (PVC) material which would tear when eaves troughs are cleaned and serviced. Another disadvantage of these liners is that the vinyl would deteriorate from extreme temperature changes causing leaks and the vinyl alone is ineffective without having end caps attached to the vinyl with one of the above mentioned sealants. The method of installing these liners is very labour intensive and a costly solution for both the installer and the consumer.
Another disadvantage with the liner repair systems and other repair systems available in the market is that to date the semi conforming, resilient liner is not UV rated to prevent deterioration. The liner does not also allow for the variances which may be found on eaves trough channel such as non removable debris and previously used sealants, which remain under the apparatus, as a result it requires an application of sealants to the entire area to complete the bonding, using sealants that have commonly been used and will continue to deteriorate as explained above.
One approach to stop the accumulation of debris is to provide a shield or cover which includes openings that will allow the passage of rainwater from the roof to the eaves trough while restricting the passage of debris such as leaves (see, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,098,344 and 6,944,992). Various parameters need to be taken into account when using these shields or covers, such as the size and number of apertures to permit the water to enter the eaves trough during heavy rains. These protectors need also to be secured directly to the gutter using fastening means, which must be removed to replace the gutter. These shields or covers do not serve to repair or protect damaged gutters.
What is needed is a system and/or device for protecting and/or repairing the corner unit of an eaves trough which may be easy to install, without the use of the common sealants mentioned above, light, inexpensive, which may be able to prevent leaks, and which may overcome the disadvantages of the repair systems and methods of the past.